Grapple.



A. A. PHILLIPS & O. SGHELLING.

GRAPPLE.

APPLIOATION FILED Dnc. z, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 191.0. 'l

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UNITED STATES aras are.

ARTHUR A. PHILLIPS AND OSCAR SCI-IELLING, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GRAPPLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 2, 1909.

Serial No. 531,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR A. PHILLIPS and OSCAR SCHELLING, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Los Angeles, 1n the county of Los Angelesand State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inGrapples, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a grapple or fishing tool adapted'to be usedin the drilling of oil wells to recover lost tools such as underreamercutters which become detached in the casing.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of this class whichis simple in construction and which presents a plurality of grippingmembers at its lower end, operated in such a manner that when the deviceis being lowered in the casing these grippingr members or fingers holdthemselves apart in such a way as to enable the tool which .is beingrecovered to come into the space between them. As soon as the cable orrod suspending the grapple is pulled up, these gripping members orfingers automatically approach each other so as to seize the lost tooland withdraw it from the casing.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly vset forth in theclaims.

In the annexed drawing which fully illustrates our invention7 Figure 1is a longitudinal vertical section through the device, the upper portionof the device being shown in elevation. F ig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe middle portion of the device upon an enlarged scale, the ends of thedevice being broken away. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan showing the lower endof the device. This view is upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a verticalsection taken through a sleeve which carries the grippers or lingers,and this view is upon an enlarged scale.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents a sheath orbarrel, the lower portion of which is formed of a tubular sleeve 2 andthe upper portion of which is formed into a head 3 having a threaded pin4 for attaching the same to the lower end of a box 5 indicated in dottedlines and which is secured to a cable (not shown). Near its upper end,sleeve 2 is provided with oppositely disposed slots 6 and through theseslots 6 a pin 7 passes, the body of the said pin being fixed in theupper end of a tubular spindle 8 which extends up through the lower endof the sleeve as indicated. This tubular'spindle S is provided onopposite sides with slots 9 and these slots receive the projecting endsof a tee 10 as indicated in Fig. 1. This tee is fixed in the upper endof a shank 11 of enlarged diameter, from the lower end of which areduced stem 12 extends downwardly.

At the lower end of the spindle 8 an enlarged head 13 is formed and thishead is formed with a central bore 14 through which the stem 12 passes.VIn this bore 14 a coiled spring 15 is provided and the lower end ofthis spring thrusts against a collar 16 which is held on the end of thestem by means of a suitable nut 17 as indicated. The body of this collar16 is in the form of a disk which is received in the bore of a gripholder or sleeve 18, the upper end of which is in threaded engagementwith the lower end of the head 13 which projects downwardly and presentsits enlarged end or base below. Around the lower edge of the grip holderor sleeve 18 oppositely disposed lugs 20 are provided, which supportpivot pins 21, said pins pivotally carrying grips or grip fingers 22.These grips extend downwardly and are tapered as shown, the upper endsbeing formed into rounded toes 23 which rest against the sides of thecone 19. In the normal position of the collar the disk body thereofrests on the upper sides of these toes and tends to hold the grips orfingers diverging in a downward direction as shown in Fig. 1. Atdiametrically opposite points the sleeve 2 is provided with slots 24 andin these slots lie dogs or dog blocks 25 the outer faces of whichnormally lie flush with the outer face of the sleeve. These dogs aresecured to leaf springs 26 which lie flat against the sides of thesleeve, the upper endsof said springs being secured by suitablefastening devices 27 as shown.

The mode of operation of the device will now be described. When it isbeing lowered into the casing, the pin 7 is disposed at the lower endsof the slots 6 and the blocks 25 are then disposed above the ends of thetee 10. The spring 15 is then fully extended and the lingers or grips 22diverge as indicated. Then the device strikes the tool which is to berecovered, or any obstruction,

Patented Aug. so, i910.

as shown. Integral with the disk of the collar 16 av cone 19 is formedthe descent of the head 13 ceases and the sheath or barrel l keeps onmoving down on the tubular spindle 8. As it moves downwardly in this waythe inclined faces of the dogs Q5 strike the ends of the tee 10 and thedogs snap over the tee and in against the spindle below the tee asindicated in Fig. 1. its soon as the sheath 1 is pulled upwardly theupper edges of the dogs engage the under side of the tee 10 and pull thestem 11 upwardly. rIhis compresses the spring 15 and pulls the cone 19upwardly. The upwardl movement of the cone 19 of course swings thelower' ends of the grip 22 inwardly so that they clutch the tool andwithdraw it as the device is raised.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, incombination, a rod, a member adapted to be attached to the lower end ofsaid rod, a grip holder having a limited sliding movement on saidmember, a plurality of grips movably mounted on said grip holder, ashank having a limited sliding movement on said grip holder, means forforming a connection between said shank and said member to enable saidmember to draw said shank upwardly, and means for actuating` said gripsthrough the movement of said shank.

2. ln a device of the class described, in ccmbination, a grip holder, aplurality of grips movably mounted thereupon normally diverging in adownward direction, a member mounted to slide longitudinally withrespect to said grip holder and having a centrally disposedsubstantially conical extension, the longitudinal axis of said extensioncoinciding with the axis of said grip-holder, said grips having toesengaging said extension attording means for forcing said grips togetherwhen said member moves upwardly, and means for normally holding saidmember in a depressed position.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a grip holder, aplurality of grips movably attached thereto, a member engaging saidgrips adapted to move said grips inwardly or outwardly, means fornormally holding said member in a depressed position to maintain saidgrips in an open condition, said member having a shank rigid therewithand adapted to be pulled upwardly to cause said grips to approach eachother, and means independently movable with respect to said shank forengaging said shank to pull the same upwardly.

4t. In a device of the class described, in combination, al memberadapted to be attached to a rod, a second member having a limitedsliding movement on said first member and extending below the same, aplurality ot grips mounted at the lower end of said second member, astem extending upwardly trom said grips, means for actuating said gripswhen said stem is moved longitudinally, and do-gs carried by said firstmember adapted to pull said stem upwardly.

5. In a device oi the class described, in combination, a member adaptedto be lowered into a well casing, a second member having a limitedsliding movement on said first member and extending therebelow, aplurality of grips mounted on said second member, a stem mounted in saidsecond member adapted to slide longitudinally, a member carried by saidstem adapted to move said grips inwardly with respect to each other andprojecting downwardly between said grips, a spring normally holding saidstem in a depressed position and dogs carried by said irst member'adapted to permit an upward movement of said stem, said stem having amember adapted to pass said dogs and adapted to be engaged by said dogsto pull said stem upwardly.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a sheath, aspindle mounted to slide therein, means for limiting the slidingmovement of said spindle, said spindle having a head therebelow with abore therein, a grip holder attached to said head, a plurality of gripspivotally mounted on said grip holder, a stem mounted to slide in saidspindle and having a neck passing downwardly through said bore, a collarattached to said neck and coperating with said grips to move the sameinwardly when said stem is pulled upwardly, a pair of dogs resilientlymounted on the sides of said sheath and lying adjacent to said stem, andmeans carried by said stem adapted to engage said dogs, said dogs beingadapted to permit the upward movement of said stem to bring saidengaging means above said dogs.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a member adaptedto be attached to the lower end of the rod, a grip holder having alimited sliding movement on said member, a plurality of grips movablymounted on said grip holder, a shank having a limited sliding movementon said grip holder, means for forming a connection between said shankand said member to enable said member to draw said shank upwardly, meansfor actuating said grips through the movement of said shank, and meanstending to hold said grips in an open position.

8. In a device of theclass described, in combination, a member adaptedto be attached to the lower end of the rod, a grip holder having alimited sliding movement on said member, a plurality of grips movablycarried thereby, a shank having a sliding movement with respect to saidgrip holder, means actuated by said shank for controlling said grips,said shank being normally unconnected with said member, and

means carried by said member actuated by the downward movement thereofwith respect to said shank for forming a direct connection between saidmember and said shank and enabling said member to pull said shankupwardly to actuate said grips.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, a member adaptedto be attached to the lower end of the rod, a grip holder having alimited sliding movement on said member, a plurality of grips movablymounted on said grip holder, a shank having a sliding movement on saidgrip holder, means carried by said shank for actuating said grips, dogscarried by said member, said shank having projections normally disposedbelow said dogs and adapted to slide upwardly past said dogs when saidshank moves upwardly, said dogs affording means for connecting saidmember directly to said shank for actuating said grips.

In witness that'we claim the foregoing We have hereunto subscribed ournames this 26th day of November, 1909.

ARTHUR A. PHILLIPS. OSCAR SCHELLING.

IVitnesses:

F. D. AMMEN, EDMUND A. STRAUSE.

